Abstract
Primary reasons for lack of expansion of small to medium sized
dairies in the Mid-Atlantic region are the high cost of land,
low profits, and labor availability. As herd size continues to increase
globally, new technology allowing farmers to remain sustainable is
greatly desired. Automatic milking systems (AMS) represent the
most recent technology available by offering improved management
and production efficiency, quality of life and attractiveness to
successors. However, the financial investment is substantial.
Although there is growing data on production impacts for European
farmers, this technology is fairly new to the U.S. In turn, U.S. farmers
lack information from independent sources regarding return on
production performance and animal health associated with the
transition from conventional to AMS for U.S. dairy operations.
Results from a survey to dairy farmers in the Mid-Atlantic region
of the U.S. reported that improving herd management and personal
flexibility were some of the most important factors regarding their
interest in AMS Moyes et al. [1]. Only 18.0% of farmers said they
have access to information regarding changes in animal health
and personal flexibility. Producers stated that more information
on animal health and personal flexibility would be helpful when
considering a transition to AMS. The objective of this study was to
estimate and quantify the animal health, productivity and lifestyle
changes for small-to medium sized dairy farms regarding the
transition from conventional to AMS in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Economic impact (including cash flow and labor) is not reported
here.
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